Always Alternate (YJ Depths AU)

1. Illusion of a Fallen One

Just a reminder, this is an AU where Dick 'dies' instead of Artemis in Depths. Jason has been resurrected. Also for later, I will sometimes switch between using Renegade and Talon to refer to Dick.

Third Person POV

—two days earlier—

"Dick, are you sure about this?" 

Dick Grayson was wrapped in a warm coat, jeans, sneakers and gloves as his breath made icy patterns in the air before being blown away by the harsh wind. Wally and Artemis stood in front of him, on their doorstep, concern etched in their faces. Wally repeated his question. Dick but his lip as Artemis led him inside. "It's the only way, it's that or you do it, and I'm not sure they'll forgive any of us if a retired teammate died-" "But what about Tim? Bruce? Barbara? Alfred? Jason?" Artemis cut him off. "Dick, let me do it, or Wally-" "Yeah, man," Wally said. "You can't do this-"

"I can't let anything happen to you!" He said, the tears finally spilling over and stinging his face as he furiously wiped them away and stared at the couple in front of him. "It has to be me. It has to be." He said firmly, handing them a USB. "There's the plan...if you're willing to help, which I understand you aren't.." Wally surprised Dick by pulling the  ebony who had been his brother  for as long  as the redhead could remember into a hug. "We're helping you through this, we're not losing anymore teammates," Artemis said, joining the hug. Wally smiled as he remembered the first day the three teens, Wally, Dick and Kaldur going on that first Mission together, and repeated the words in hopes of loosening the tension that looked over them.

"If you're going, we're  going."

—-present day—-

"Nightwing, watch out!" Artemis yelled as she shot her arrows, taking down Manta's soldiers with ease. She kicked a knife out of ones hand and rushed to help Nightwing take out Kaldur, but she came in, dodging one before throwing herself left so the hammer caught her chest and sent her flying, landing with a grunt. "Too hard, Kaldur," she muttered under her breath before looking around to see Nightwing battling some more soldiers with Kaldur coming up behind him.

The bird expertly dodged the blows but in a minute movement disarmed himself as he whipped around to face Kaldur. He threw a hasty punch as the hammers turned into swords, and Kaldur leaned in as he stabbed his old friend, and Nightwing's jaw clenched, crushing the pill in it, and with hatred burning in his pale green eyes Kaldur  said, "Road ends here, Birdy," in a flat tone before pulling back his sword, clicking a button that released red liquid down the sword before he retracted it. 

Nightwing gasped for air as he stumbled backward, hands covering his chest as he doubled over, wheezing, Artemis blinked the tears out of her eyes and yelled, "Nightwing!" Superboy and Miss Martian diverted their attention to her at the sound. The archer rushed to his side, catching him and lowering him to the ground as though he were made of glass. "It's okay, I've got you," She said, before subtly squeezing the packet in her hand where the 'wound' was.

Kaldur looked towards the sky as the rocket exploded without warning, and as the flames danced across the sky he yelled to the troops," Move out! We are done here." He spared  a single glance at his old friends and gave a slight reassuring nod to the green clad archer and bird as he retreated back to the water.

"-28,28,30!" Artemis counted her compressions before rapidly breathing for him, and as she exhaled Superboy's shocked and sad tone cut into the brittle silence. "I-I don't hear his heartbeat..." Artemis sat back in the ice, catching a glimpse of the Martian and Kryptonian's horrified faces before she bowed her head into the  blue bird emblem on his chest, stained red, and thought about the teen that had taken a selfie with her all those years ago. "We're not laughing,," she whispered.